People using BLuefin, think about this:
Ed.30 has the same intercooler as normal GTI. S3, which has donated the engine to Ed.30 uses a bigger intercooler, and that only with 265hp!
And now with 300hp your engine and turbo are running quite a bunch hotter.
Maybe, for your own good, you should give some thought to a new, bigger intercooler and maybe an exhaust system with large bore downpipe.
....I'd like to quote Mike from Forge (USA) commenting about our stock intercoolers on the 'standard' GTI:
"The stock intercooler IS, indeed, very efficient. Given it's poor placement, however.
It is very effective at cooling the charge pressure to a given degree, but it's placement obviously leaves room for improvement.
There has been testing done, however, and I wish I had the data handy, but I don't, that shows the stock intercooler has the thermal capacity to allow charge pressure temperatures to be cooled to as low as ambient under certain conditions. This is VERY effective by ANY intercooler's standards.
If, for example, the stock intercooler, were removed from it's current placement between the radiator and AC condenser, and moved to the front of the AC condenser altogether, it's thermal efficiency would likely improve, but only to a degree.
If our kit, is used for example, and a second core is added, adding to the thermal capacity of the stock unit, it's efficiency, again improves, to a degree.
Lastly, replacing the stock unit altogether, can also provide an improvement, but again to a degree. Though I have yet to see before and after dynos of a stock replacement (stock location) unit as of yet.
By starting with a fairly efficient stock unit, you can make improvements sure, but a lot of the work has been done for you, and the stock intercooler is hardly anything to scoff at. It has even been used as an upgrade on the older 1.8T applications with great success, and it's size and thermal dispersion capacity is phenomenal as an OEM part on any comparable application"
Which I think puts into question how worthwhile a replacement intercooler (FMIC) would be. It's not as if a fast road-going Ed30 is continually subjected to the sort of heat levels experienced on the track. In my opinion.
Robin, interesting observations and comments.
However, under certain road going conditions, the standard intercooler will give a noticeable effect of reduced efficiency. Take a long series of hairpin bends in a mountain pass, where you may be using high engine revs, but in a low gear. This will obviously be at quite low road speeds, and therefore dramatically reduced airflow through the rads/intercooler and engine compartment. It wall also give a much increased underbonnet temperature, and the resultant "heat-soak" will be transferred to the standard intercooler. The additional Forge item is further forward, and is a small but important distance away from the radiator and condensor, and will be much less prone to heat soak in these circumstances.
